Snap-switch.



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SNAP SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27.1914.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

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ERNEST lKLEIN, OF NEW YORK, Y.

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To all @from 'zt may concer-1t:

Be 1t known lthat I, ERNEST KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe borough of Manhattan, county, city,

and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Snap- Switches, set forth in the following specical tion.

This invention relates in its preferred application to snap switches, in which the circuit controlling element has imparted to it by` au operating means an accelerated movement independent from and in a direction opposlte from the movement of the v,operatin means` The purpose of the invention roadly 1s to perfect a mechanical movement especially adapted for snapspective switches so that the circuit controlling ele- 'ment of lthe switch moves with an accelerated movement independent from and in an opposite direction from the movement of an loperating means. More specifically the object of the invention is to provide means object just recited the defect of a cam the other as for instance as disclosed and claimed in Patent No. 985,421.

V To the above ends there is contemplated 3a.*

within'the inventiona cam and a cam-followericonstrained to oscillate between relation with each other. The term oscillate is usedbroadly with the understanding that an oscillation the radius of which is large enough constitutes a reciprocation or a back and Aforth movement in a straight line. The

cam and the cam-*follower are arranged directly to engage one with the other so that one coperates with `the other to impart thereto an independent accelerated movement in the opposite direction from the movement of the driving element. An operating means, as for instance push buttons, are provided for moving the driving element and spring means is secured toI one of the elements to cause it ga e the other.

n addition to the above the invention is pointed out particularly in the following lclaims which should be read in connection with the illustrative embodiments of the invention which are described in the following specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form extreme positions in coperating re- -means shown 1s for manual yieldingly 'to en-` Specication of Letters Patent. Patented vNov. 12, 1918. Application mea April A27, 1914. seriai Noren-,706.

l a part of this application, in which like Fig. 2 isa view similar to Fig. l, showing the parts in their vrelative positions after a movement to the right lof the driven part has been effected;

Fig. 3 is a. section through line III-III of 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 isa fractional top plan view showing the spring and a push button; and

Fig. 5- is-a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing a mod'iication in. which the driven element oscillates in a path having a shorter radius of oscillation.

Any suitable supporting structure suitably insulated such as the case A or the case A may be provided. The embodiment illustrated is a somewhat diagrammatic representation of a double throw push button snap-switch. In opposite walls l. and 2 are,

push buttons B and B. Stopsi and 6 for limiting the inward movement of the operi The operating manipulation in both directions. However, the application of a compression spring C to push' against one of the push buttons will render the switch automatic as for the'control of closet lights automatically in response to the open,-

ating means are shown.

y ing and closing of the closet door.

The driving element of the?J switch is shown in the form of a cam D having two oppositelyI inclined faces 7 and 8. A leaf pring E interlinks the lpush buttons B and The upper portion of the cam D is provided with a rib 9 which engages the lower side of thespring E and at which` locality it is secured to the spring D by rivets 10 so that the entire cam may be free to rock slightly beneath the spring 3 on the rib 9.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the driven element, the cam-follower F coperating with the cam D is constrained to oscillate or reciprocate like a sled upon the guide ways 11. This cam follower F is shown stamped from stiff to which it is suitably secured at its ends.

" or nose 12 andthe broadfsliding feet 13 and carries the VContact bridge 6 into electrical l14.. Projecting downwardly between the ways 11 is 'an arnirl` of reduced-width to which the switch contactfG isy secured, but

from which it is insulatedr; lTheswitch contact Gfcoperates wit the fixed Acontacts 16. The extreme positi L between which'the cam follower'F oscillates'fare'deterinined by the stop walls 17 v 'and 1.8.'.v 'In 'likefmanner the extreme positions betwee'nwhich the cam D oscillates aredetermined -by the stop Walls 5 and 6 limiting the inward travel of the push buttons B and B.

In the modification of Fig. 5 vthe cani fol- 1 engaging movable parts consisting of a cam and a cam-follower; a leaf. spring of longilower F is constrained to oscillate in a Well dened arc-shaped path-through the medium of the radial guide 20 working on the hinge pin 21. In this modification the switch contact plate Gis carried by the radial guide 20.v

In other respects the structure is the sameas has been described in connection with the other figures. l l

Operation. n

In Fig. 1 the part-s are shown after the=V push button B has been pushed in to the limit of its travel.

tion (as shown in the figure inv an upward direction) of the spring E. This deiiection of the spring E causes the cani D forcibly to engage the cam follower F. As a result the nose 12 of the cam follower F is forced with an accelerated movement to the right which connection with the contacts :16. Thismovement is totally independent of and in an opposite direction from the left hand movement of the operating button B which effected it. Fig. 2 shows-the positions assuinedy by the parts after the cam follower oveiiient to the right has been effected.' In y s @position the cam Dis still held in direct gen'gagement with the cam-follower F so that.4 vv v'the contact Gr is forcibly held in electrical connection with the contacts 16. 'In' this iigure the parts are in position to commence an' operation to break the electrical circuit. The pushingin of the push button B causes the inclined cam-face 8 to ride up the nose 12 of thev cam-follower F until the apex 19 passes over the nose-12. When this position has been reached an accelerated motion to the left of the cam-follower F results which'is exactly similar to the motion to the right previously described.

In connection with the modification shown in Fig. 5, the operation is the same exceptV that the cam-follower F swings on the hinge pivot 21 instead of sliding along ways 11.

In the illustrative embodiments the cam- The inclined face 7 of the camD'has been driven over the nose 12 follower is shown oscillating unyieldingly in l a xed path while the cam is yieldingly pressed into coperation with the cam-follower by a spring. It is, of course, understood that the cam might be caused to oscillate in an unyielding path and the cam-- follower be guided on spring ways or on a resiliently compressible radial guide or the` cam and cam-follower might be interchanged although this is not the *preferred form of my vinvention which has been described in detail.

' What is claimed and what'is desired to b e secured by United States Letters Patent is 1. In an electric snap-switch, -two directly v cooperating with saidspring for imparting an actuating movement to said cam in one' direction to cause said' cam to impart an accelerated operating movement to said campendently:l of said operating meansgand a switch contact associated with said camfol lower"?nd actuated 'thereby'.

2. In an electric snap-switch," abase; two tandem push buttons guided through said base; a leaf spring linking said vpushfbutlfollower in vthe opposite direction indetons together whereby the pushing in of one pushes the other out; a cam secured to said leaf spring intermediate said push buttons; a cam-follower; an electric contact oontrolled vby said cam-follower; and -means for guiding said cam-follower between two extreme positions in a path coperatively to engage said cam whereby an operative movement of said camKY in one direction causes an independent accelerated. move-- ment of, said cam follower in the opposite direction.y v`

3. In a snap-switch,'a leaf spring; operating means fixed to the opposite ends of said spring for imparting thereto a lengthwise movement in either of two directions but permitting the lateralbendingof said spring "intermediate its ends; a cam vcarried by the .mid-portion of said-spring and' having oppositelv inclined faces; a cam-follower constrained to oscillate in a path so as to be engaged by the faces of said cam; an electric contact means operated by said cain' follower: and means for constraining the relative movements of said parts so that a complete movement of said cam to the left causes a snap of said cain-follower to the right and` vice versa.

4. In a snap switch, a cam-follower constrained to oscillate into each of two extreme positions; electric contact means operated by said cani-follower; a double faced cam disposed adjacent said cani-follower, a .v

` leaf sprmg of longitudinal form to which said cam is secured and. by which alone it is carried,` said leaf spring being movable bodil' in the vgeneral direction of its own lengt for the purpose of moving said -cam across said cam-follower in each of two directions to cause said cam-follower to snap into its eXtreme position in the oppositel direction.

5. In an electric snap switch, two directly engaging movable vparts consisting of a cam and a cam-follower; a guiding *means* constraining one of said parts to an oscillatingq movement into each of two 'extreme positions; said part having associated' with' it an electric contact; a leaf spring having a general longitudinal form and movable in the proximate direction of its own length, said leaf spring alone carrying the second of said parts, means for actuat ing said leaf springso as to cause -a 'yield-v ing vengagement between said parts and whereby a movement of the yieldingpart to the left causes a snap of the other part -to the right and a movement of the yield-v in part to the right `causes a snap ofthe ot er part to the left. 6. In a mechanical movement, an oscillat ing driving part and an oscillating driven part, one being a cam and the other a camfollower; and a leaf spring movable ink the eneral direction of its own length and serving as the carrier of one of said parts for the purpose of yieldingly pressing it to effect coperative engagement wlth the other part, whereby an `independent accelerated movement is imparted to the driven part in the opposite direction from the movement of the driving part causing the oscillation,- t y In witness whereof -I have signed my name to thisl specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y A ERNEST KLEIN.

Witnesses: A

L.- ALTMAN, HENRY SCHWED. 

